Australian Wool

Australian wool is firmly planted at Jude’s heart centre. Jude will always be true to Australian Wool, and will always be proudly Australian Made. We love nothing more than creating beautiful woollen clothing and homewares. We hope you enjoy all the special qualities that Australian Wool possesses.

Australian Wool is brimming with unique attributes that few fabrics in the world can boast. Here you can learn a little more about this remarkable fibre.

Merino wool is a natural fibre renowned for being very fine and very soft. It is a unique fibre, loved by fashion and apparel designers for its quality and versatility.

Nothing else feels like it, looks like it, or wears like it.

Sourced from Merino sheep, Merino wool boasts a superior range of natural qualities that extend far beyond its seductive softness next to the skin.

Merino wool:

benefits from natural breathability

keeps you warm in winter, yet cool in summer

drapes beautifully and resists creasing

shrugs off stains, keeps its colour when washed

has natural anti-static and anti-odour properties.

While synthetic fibres are produced with non-renewable oil, Merino is an entirely renewable natural resource. It’s not only soft against the skin but also gentle on the planet. 80% of the world’s fine Merino is produced in Australia, and ours is regarded by many as the best in the world.

Merino is grown year-round by Australia’s 70 million Merino sheep, consuming a simple blend of water, air, sunshine and grass.

When Merino fibre is disposed of, it will naturally decompose in soil in a matter of years, slowly releasing valuable nutrients back into the earth. Every year Australian Merino sheep produce a new fleece, making Merino a completely renewable fibre source.

Merino fibres are extremely fine, enabling them to bend far more than traditional, coarser wool fibres. This makes Merino wool feel soft and luxuriously gentle next to your skin. Natural elasticity helps Merino garments stretch with you, yet return to their original shape.

Merino fibres can absorb large quantities of moisture vapour then move it away to evaporate into the air. So Merino clothing is extremely breathable and less prone to clamminess. In contrast to synthetics, Merino is an active fibre that reacts to changes in body temperature. So it helps you stay warm when the weather is cold, and cool when the weather is hot. Merino can absorb moisture vapour, which means less sweat on your body. Merino even absorbs the odours from sweat, which are then released during washing.

Because Merino can absorb moisture vapour, it tends not to create static electricity, helping it to drape beautifully and be less likely to cling uncomfortably to your body than other fabrics. Merino fibres have a natural protective outer layer that prevents stains from being absorbed. And because Merino tends not to generate static, it attracts less dust and lint. Recent innovations mean many Merino garments can now be machine-washed and tumble dried. It’s very elastic too so requires less ironing than other fabrics.

At microscopic level, each Merino fibre is like a coiled spring that returns to its natural shape after being bent. This gives Merino garments a natural resistance to wrinkles.

Merino is better at protecting you from UV radiation than most synthetics and cotton. So the whole family will be safer wearing it on sunny days. You are also safer in Merino because it is flame retardant, and even self-extinguishes when the source of flame is removed.